Add Integrations so It Becomes Your Notification Hub

"We use Slack for all sorts of notifications in our business, from sales leads to down servers. By integrating Slack with apps like Github, SalesForce, MailChimp and Zapier, it has become our main notification hub for pretty much everything."

Tag People for Quicker Responses

"It's very simple, but extremely effective. By tagging people in your messages, you're more able to hold them accountable for a response. As chatrooms typically get filled with a lot of conversation, it's important for people to know when they're being spoken to, rather than when they're just reading a statement."

Star Comments or Files to Reference Later

"Put a star next to any comment, file or message that you need to act on but don't have time at that moment. It serves similarly as to a to-do list, and you can access all items with stars by opening the menu Flex pane."

Give Your Team a Tutorial

"Although Slack is very user-friendly, a tutorial of this platform would be much appreciated by your employees, especially if they are switching from an existing messaging app. Show them the features of the app, what your team will be using it for specifically, how they can quickly and easily utilize it, and explain why it will benefit them. Your team will all be on the same page."

Use Keyboard Shortcuts

"Keyboard shortcuts are the key to getting more done in less time with Slack. I use 'Ctrl + K' to quickly flip between channels and conversations, but there are a host of other shortcuts -- just hit 'Ctrl + ?' to see a list of them all. The time you save from using keyboard shortcuts helps you to focus more on the actual substance of the conversations, and ultimately, on your work more too."

Foster Community

"In Slack we are able to create a private sphere without threatening our sense of community. For us, it’s personal relationships that form the web of a team-wide sense of connection. Nobody ever has to feel excluded because everyone is equally accessible. We encourage contribution to the general chat with ideas, articles (work-related or not) and funny things that have happened to us during the day."

Limit Channels, and Use '@' Tags

"Limit the channels your team creates. Although it's helpful to delineate by project or topic, having too many channels to check can get confusing. Try for no more than six or eight channels company-wide. Also, use '@' tags for action items. That way, in addition to scanning channels to keep up to date, team members will get notifications as needed."

Type '/collapse' to hide GIF's

"When I use Slack, my team uses GIFs to express themselves all the time. And when we start talking business again, we sometimes get lost in unread messages full of images or GIFs. Using the '/collapse' command hides them whenever you want, so you can actually get some work done by making distracting messages go away. To see them again, you can hit the small arrows next to GIF links.
"

Make Sure Your Team Uses It

"My No. 1 tip for getting more out of Slack is to encourage the entire team to use it as a first option for communication and collaboration. It’s amazing how many more decisions and inputs you can get through Slack’s instant communications, as opposed to waiting on emails or setting up conference calls. I personally am a fan of 'command/ctrl T' as a means of quick switching between conversations."

Read the Slack Blog

"Most people don't realize that the Slack Blog is an amazing source of information for cool features and integration options that you never knew about. There's a steep learning curve with Slack and it's a bit overwhelming at times. To make it more manageable, I make time to go through each blog post in detail and look for ways to apply the ideas to my business and improve overall efficiency."

Add Integrations so It Becomes Your Notification Hub

"We use Slack for all sorts of notifications in our business, from sales leads to down servers. By integrating Slack with apps like Github, SalesForce, MailChimp and Zapier, it has become our main notification hub for pretty much everything."

Tag People for Quicker Responses

"It's very simple, but extremely effective. By tagging people in your messages, you're more able to hold them accountable for a response. As chatrooms typically get filled with a lot of conversation, it's important for people to know when they're being spoken to, rather than when they're just reading a statement."

Star Comments or Files to Reference Later

"Put a star next to any comment, file or message that you need to act on but don't have time at that moment. It serves similarly as to a to-do list, and you can access all items with stars by opening the menu Flex pane."

Give Your Team a Tutorial

"Although Slack is very user-friendly, a tutorial of this platform would be much appreciated by your employees, especially if they are switching from an existing messaging app. Show them the features of the app, what your team will be using it for specifically, how they can quickly and easily utilize it, and explain why it will benefit them. Your team will all be on the same page."

Use Keyboard Shortcuts

"Keyboard shortcuts are the key to getting more done in less time with Slack. I use 'Ctrl + K' to quickly flip between channels and conversations, but there are a host of other shortcuts -- just hit 'Ctrl + ?' to see a list of them all. The time you save from using keyboard shortcuts helps you to focus more on the actual substance of the conversations, and ultimately, on your work more too."

Foster Community

"In Slack we are able to create a private sphere without threatening our sense of community. For us, it’s personal relationships that form the web of a team-wide sense of connection. Nobody ever has to feel excluded because everyone is equally accessible. We encourage contribution to the general chat with ideas, articles (work-related or not) and funny things that have happened to us during the day."

Limit Channels, and Use '@' Tags

"Limit the channels your team creates. Although it's helpful to delineate by project or topic, having too many channels to check can get confusing. Try for no more than six or eight channels company-wide. Also, use '@' tags for action items. That way, in addition to scanning channels to keep up to date, team members will get notifications as needed."

Type '/collapse' to hide GIF's

"When I use Slack, my team uses GIFs to express themselves all the time. And when we start talking business again, we sometimes get lost in unread messages full of images or GIFs. Using the '/collapse' command hides them whenever you want, so you can actually get some work done by making distracting messages go away. To see them again, you can hit the small arrows next to GIF links.
"

Make Sure Your Team Uses It

"My No. 1 tip for getting more out of Slack is to encourage the entire team to use it as a first option for communication and collaboration. It’s amazing how many more decisions and inputs you can get through Slack’s instant communications, as opposed to waiting on emails or setting up conference calls. I personally am a fan of 'command/ctrl T' as a means of quick switching between conversations."

Read the Slack Blog

"Most people don't realize that the Slack Blog is an amazing source of information for cool features and integration options that you never knew about. There's a steep learning curve with Slack and it's a bit overwhelming at times. To make it more manageable, I make time to go through each blog post in detail and look for ways to apply the ideas to my business and improve overall efficiency."